Glossary
Ahasha (A kas´a) Ether; space.
Akal Pursh Supreme Being; God.
Anahat Shabad Spiritual melody; music.
Ananda (A nanda) Bliss.
Antahkarana (Antah. Karana) Subconscious.
Arjuna Hero of the epic Mahabharata and a friend and
disciple of Lord Krishna.
Atma-Dhara The soul escalator. The current that carries
us to its source. The current of the creator, the God Himself.
Atman (A tman) also Atma The self or soul; denotes both
the Supreme Soul and the individual soul, which, according to
non-dualistic Vedanta, are ultimately identical.
Atmic Shakti (A tmic S ´akti) Atmic: of the Atma;
Shakti: power. "Soul Power";
Attar Essence.
Audible Life Stream The Holy Spirit of God flowing in
and through us.
Avalokiteswara Buddhist name for Nam; the Word of God.
Avatar (Avatara) Incarnation of God.
Awagawan Births and deaths, comings and goings, ended
by the Grace of God.
Bhagat Devotee.
Bhagavad Gita (Bhagavad Gita) An important Hindu scripture,
comprising eighteen chapters of the epic Mahabharata and containing
the teachings of Lord Krishna.
Bhagti (Bhakti) Love and devotion to God.
Bhakta Devotee of God.
Bhakti Love of God.
Bhava (Bhava) Things and events happen only according
to the Will of God and as it pleases him.
Bhoots (Bhu ts) Ghosts-beings belonging to the Darker
Worlds.
Brahma (Brahma) The expanding and projecting aspect
of the Godhead which results in full manifestation of nature.
The Spirit of the Universe.
Bhrama-Lok The pure astral plane.
Brahma Puri The capital of the pure astral plane. "
Bhrama-Lok" is the famous city of Brahma Puri,
the city of the "thousand-petalled lotus," where the
best of those not yet Nam-born sojourn.
Brahma Gyanee (Brahma Jñani) A knower of God.
Brahman The Supreme Realty, the Absolute, or a spiritually
enlightened person.
Brahmandi Of the astral worlds.
Chaitanta Consciousness.
Chakra (Cakra) Vital centers through which Prana (life-force)
flows.
Chardhi Kala The power that moves ever upward and Godward.
Motivating force.
Chitta (Citta) Individualized consciousness, soul-awareness.
Christo The Divine Word, the very essence of all creation.
City of "Thousand Petalled Lotus" Mystical place.
Cosmos The totality of all creations of God.
Dat The gift of salvation.
Darshan (Dars´ana) To see, to discern the Truth. To
visit a pilgrimage site or be in the company of a saint is to
have the opportunity of Darshan. (Sacred meeting face to face.)
Daswan Dwar The tenth portal. Nine portals are of physical
nature, the tenth leads to God.
Dayal-Purkh The ever-beneficent being in the Sunna region.
Benevolent aspect of God.
Dharma To be in accord with life processes and one's
destined path is to fulfil one's Dharma. To always strive to
do righteous deeds.
Dharma Rai Presiding negative power that meets the soul
at the time of death for accountability.
Deva A shining one, a god. Gods (Devas) and goddesses
(Devis) are spiritually radiant souls which dwell in subtle
or celestial realms.
Dhunn-Atmik The utterance of God.
Doots God's policemen, who bring bad souls into the
presence of God to account for their misdeeds in their previous
lives just ended.
Duality Double-mindedness.
Dwaish Repulsion.
Gagan-Mandal Four dimensions of the Universe.The capital
city of all the subtle astral worlds, ";the city of the
thousand-petalled lotus" is Thana or headquarters of the
three Gunas.
Gandharvas (Gandharvas) A highly spiritualized group
of individuals (Saints), who melodiously sing the praises of
God to a congregation which passionately seeks spiritual awakening.
Ganga of the Nam River of the Word of God (pure stream
of God).
God-Realization A stage when one begins to experience
the nature and Power of God.
Grace Benevolence.
Gruntha A book of scriptures.
Gunas (Gun. as) A term of the Sarnkhya philosophy, according
to which Prakriti (nature or matter), in contrast with Purusha
(soul), consists of three Gunas— usually translated as
";qualities"—known as Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas.
Sattva
stands for balance or wisdom, Tamas for inertia, and Rajas for
activity and restlessness.
Gur-Mukh Worshipper of Truth and righteousness.
Guru Spiritual preceptor.
Guru Nanak The first Guru of the Sikhs through whom
God communicated His Divine knowledge to mankind.
Gyan-Kharag The sword of gnosis (knowledge).
Her Kirtan Glorification of God.
Holy Ghost Man's own true soul-spirit current.
Holy Nam The Word of God
Homo Toto Mankind; humanity.
Houmen Separative ego; conceitedness.
Hukam God's will; the adjusting and regulating power of
God.
Huth Hands determined and dogged pursuit.
Ishwara (Is´vara) The personalized aspect of God which
governs and regulates creation. Referred to as the Lord or ruling
influence.
Jagrat Conscient.
Jangeela Rust of the soul.
Japa Mental repetition of the Lord's name or a sacred
formula given by the spiritual teacher.
Japa Jap Recitation of the sacred scriptures meditatively
and melodiously. The Sikh scriptures, the holy ";Guru-Granth,"
is written in various forms of music and according to perfect
musical scales and compositions.
Jiva ( Jiva) The individual soul, which in essence is
one with the Universal Soul.
Jivan-Mukti One who has attained liberation, while living
in the body, from the cycle of births and deaths. Jnana (Jñana)
Knowledge of reality arrived at through reasoning and deliberation;
also the process of reasoning by means of which Ultimate Truth
is attained.
Jot Light and founding essence of the Creator; God.
Kal (Ka la) Time.
Kal-Desh (Ka l-Des´a) Planets where time is operative.
Kal Niranjan (Ka l-Nirañjana) Negative power.
Karamat Miracle-working power to accomplish virtuous
deeds.
Kalpatru Purpose tree.
Kali (Kali) An epithet of the Divine Mother, the Primal
Energy.
Karma The principle of causation. The thoughts we habitually
think, our mental states, our states of consciousness (levels
of soul-awareness), and the actions we perform determine our
experiences.
Kripa (Kr. pa) Grace.
Krishna (Kr. s. n. a) An incarnation of God described
in the Mahabharata and the Bhagavata.
Kundalini (Kun. d. alini) The spiritual power dormant
in all living beings. When awakened through the practice of
spiritual disciplines, it rises through the spinal column, passes
through various centres, and at last reaches the brain, when
the Yogi experiences Samadhi or total absorption in the Godhead.
Lakshmi (Laks. mi) The consort of Vishnu and goddess
of fortune.
Leela A sport of God.
Living Word Nam, the Divine Christo, or Logos.
Logos The controlling principle of the Universe, the
eternal thought or Word of God.
Maha (Maha) Mind essence; ";Great" as in ";Mahatma."
Mahat Cosmic mind-substance or Universal Mind.
Mahatma (Mahatma) Great soul.
Mana-Mukh Mammon worshipper; the slave of the senses.
Manna Divine aid; spiritual sustenance.
Mantra Sacred word by which the spiritual teacher initiates
his disciple; sacred word in general.
Mara To kill or wrest control of negative proclivities.
Maya (Maya) A term of Vedanta philosophy denoting ignorance
obscuring the vision of reality; the cosmic illusion on account
of which the One appears as many, the Absolute as the relative.
The material world.
Mayavic illusion The illusion of the material
things distracting one from the path of righteousness.
Moha Affectionate though somewhat selfish attachment
to other human beings and to material things.
Moksha (Moks. a) Attainment of soul-consciousness. Liberation
is accomplished when awareness is devoid of delusions and illusions.
Mudra (Mudra) A symbolic gesture. Also a yogic procedure
used to regulate the body's life forces and control of involuntary
processes.
Mukti Salvation; liberation from the bondage of the
world, which is the goal of spiritual practice.
Muni Great soul or Mahatma; a prophet.
Meditation Undisturbed flowing of attention to one's
object of concentration.
Nad (Nada) Sound of spiritual music.
Nad-Bind Audible Life Stream of Divinity; the spiritual
life.
Nãm
In the Nam, the Lord-God the Formless assumes the form,
the nameless a name, and the infinite is definite, man is God,
and God is man. Nam is called by many names in many countries
and religions. A. Christians: Verbum; Living
Word; Divine Christos. B. Buddhists: Avalokiteswara. C.: Pratyagatma;
D.: Pranva. Nam is the All Generator, the All Prayer and Purifier,
Father and Lengthener of Life.
Nãm
Avkhad The medicine that makes man whole.
Nãm
de Dat Highest Power; the gift of the Eternal Giver.
Nãm
de Dhunn The reverberations of Nam or Holy Word, held by
the Nam. Single-mindedness in the Divine state.
Nãm
de Poh Tincture of the Holy Nam.
Nãm-Dhun
(Nam-Dhunn) The spiritual life current, which is musical.
Nãm
meditation Meditation on the Word of God.
Nãm-Ras
Same as Nam-Rhythm.
Nãm
Rattan "The pearl of the greatest price." The
word of God being the most precious commodity. Rattan: very
precious jewel.
Nãm
Rhythm A state of mind and body in complete harmony and
synchronicity; the Divine Rhythm.
Nãm
Spirit Being in the spirit of the Word of God; Divine State.
Nãm
Stream Pure stream of the Word of God.
Nãm-Vakkhar
The substance which solves, dissolves, transmutes, and makes
Divine. Relieves and releases man of oppressive things.
Nav Nidh Nine graces of the Nam.
Nij-Anand Innate joy; consciousness where spirit bears
witness with our spirit and both reciprocate each other.
Nij-Ghar Your own Father's home; God.
Nirvana (Nirvan.a) Final absorption in Brahman, or the
all-pervading reality, through the annihilation of the individual
ego.
Noumenon The self of man, which is God; the true Homo.
Nous The Word; the Logos.
Om (Aum) The sound-current from which all manifestations
of nature are produced; a symbol both of the personal God and
of the Absolute.
Omnipotent Unrestricted power; the power of God.
Omnipresence Presence everywhere.
Omniscience Consciousness-knowing everywhere.
Padma Lotus.
Par-Brahma (Parabrahman) God.
Par-Brahm God.
Patanjali (Patañjali) The author of the Yoga
system, one of the six systems of orthodox Hindu philosophy,
dealing with concentration and its methods, control of the mind,
and similar matters.
Patti Reading of scriptures.
Paps Sins.
Parjat The tree of life.
Pooran Avatar Sat-Guru Nanak (Puran Avatar Sadguru Nanak)
The most perfect, truest, the most knowledgeable prophet that
God has ever sent to this world. The other nine Sikh Gurus that
followed Guru Nanak in succession
over a period of some 200 years only elaborated Guru Nanak's
spiritual as well as temporal gospel to mankind.
Pooran Purkh Perfect person.
Pooran Purshas perfected persons.
Pooran Sat-Guru Nanak (Puran Sadguru Nanak) Most perfect,
true Supreme,
Spiritual Guru Nanak; the first Guru of the Sikhs.
Prana (Pran.a) The vital breath, which sustains life
in the physical body; the primal energy or force, of which other
physical forces are manifestations.
Prakriti (Prakr. ti) Primordial nature; the material
substratum of creation, consisting of Sattva, Rajas, and Ramas
(the Gunas).
Prem (Prema) Selfless love.
Prets Ghosts or beings belonging to the darker side
of the world.
Puja (Pu ja) Ritualistic worship.
Punch-Chor The five vices. The individual character
is made or marred by the five classes of reactions.
Purusha (Purus.a) A term of Samkhya philosophy denoting the
individual conscious principle.
Rag Attraction.
Rajas (Rajas) The principle of restlessness or activity in
nature.
Ramayana (Ramayan. a) A famous Hindu epic.
Reincarnation The doctrine of return, of being born
into another body after a duration of rest in the astral realm.
The soul can be drawn back to physical realms so long as there
are attachments to them.
Renunciation Relinquishment of attachments to things,
circumstances, emotional states, and actions, while selflessly
involved in relationships, work, service, and soul-awakening
practices.
Rishi (R. s. i) A seer of Truth to whom the wisdom of
the Vedas was revealed; a general name for saint or ascetic.
Roop (Rup) Essence.
Sa Haj The pilgrimage, especially to Mecca, in the Muslim
religion.
Sabasar Dal Karwal Meditation; first sight, destination.
Sachi-Bani Heavenly Word; music.
Sadh-Sangat The congregation of Truth-seekers.
Sahaj-Sobhav (Sahaj-Subhav) Same as Sahaja Bhava.
Sahaja Bhava The true spiritual temperament.
Sahaja State The true spiritual state.
Sahasar Dal Kanwal First dimension of the Universe;
headquarters of the subtle world, the astral plane.
Samadhi (Samadhi) Ecstasy; trance; communion with God.
Samskaras (Sam· skaras) Seeds; thoughts.
Sannyasa (Sannyasa) The monastic life; the last of the
four stages of life.
Sant-Sabha The society of the Saints; the holy congregation.
Sant-Mandal The abode of the Saints.
Sant-Marag The path or the lifestyle of a true Saint.
Sant-Mat The Science of the Saviours; nature of Pure
Spiritual Science.
Santih (S ´anti) Peace.
Sat Reality; absolute Truth.
Sat-Guru (Sadguru) Supreme teacher with absolute knowledge
of the Divine (God).
Sat-Guru Ka Marg The real methodology, the science; the path
or process to realize God. ";Radiant Road to Reality."
Sat-Nam The Word of God.
Sat-Nam Sri Wah-Guru The true Guru in whom the word
of God is truly manifest.
Sat-Pursh God.
Sat-Sang (Satsan· ga) Company of Truth-bearers.
Satchidananda (Saccidananda) (lit., Existence–Knowledge–Bliss
Absolute.) A name of Brahman, or Ultimate Realty.
Sattva The principle of balance or righteousness in
nature.
Science of the Saviours As revealed to Guru Nanak by
God Himself, the other nine Gurus that followed him, and as
is written in the Guru Granth, holy scriptures of the Sikh religion.
Self-realization Conscious knowledge; experience of
one's true nature. The real Self of every person and the individual
acquiring a pure consciousness; Spiritual
Science of Meditation. The participation in an order
superior to all merely human conditions. Human life can acquire
a meaning and a value for its direct knowledge of its contents
and of God. It is called Surt-Shabad, the Audible Life Stream
or Nam; the Spirit; Sound Stream; the Living Word.
Shabad (Shabad) Sacred scriptural song (psalm), written
in perfect musical scale and format.
Shabada (Shabada) Plural of Shabad.
Shabda-Brahm Creator of the Universe.
Shabda-Brahma (S ´abda-Brahma) The Holy Nam.
Shabda-Dhunn Audible Life Stream.
Shraddha Faith.
Shiva (S ´iva) One of the names used for God in
the Hindu religion.
Siddhi Innate spiritual power or ability which can unfold
and be instrumental for fulfillment or accomplishment of purpose.
Sikhs Seekers after Life Eternal.
Siva (S ´iva) The destroyer god; the third person
of the Hindu trinity, the other two being Brahma (the creator)
and Vishnu (the preserver).
Subhava Disposition; way; own peculiar soul-nature and
character.
Such-Khand Absolute spiritual state.
Sunna (Sunna) Region The spiritual region of absolute
quietness or quietude experienced during advanced stages of
meditation.
Supna (Svapna) Dream; the sub-conscient.
Supra-Conscious Super-conscient.
Surt-Shabad The repository of Truth, Life, Light, and
Love.
Surt-Stream The experience by the individual soul of
the Divine current during
meditation.
Surta Storehouse of the conscient mind (memory).
Sushupati (Sus. upti) Unconscient.
Sword of Gnosis Power of the Nam.
Tamas The principle of dullness or inertia in nature.
Tapas People who have extensively devoted their lives
to meditate on the Word of God.
Tattva (Tattva) The true or inner essence of a thing.
The essence of anything can be discerned through Samtama, a
perfect contemplation.
Ten Immortal Sat-Gurus The ten Saviours of the Sikhs,
from Guru Nanak through Guru Gobind Singh.
Thana Headquarters of the three Guna universes.
Thousand-petalled lotus (see Ganga-Mandal)
Tisra-Til Eyebrow center in the forehead.
Trikuti Home of Universal Mind; origin of all perishable
minds.
Trishna Craving to possess impermanent things; thirst
for things worldly.
Turiva Fourth dimension of space.
Turiya Avastha (Turya Avastha) The spiritual state of
a person which is relatively advanced.
Upanishads (Upanis.ads) Hindu scriptures containing
the philosophy of the Vedas. They are 108 in number, of which
eleven are called major Upanishads.
Vairag (Vairagya) Renunciation of nature.
Varnatmik The utterance of man.
Veda The revealed scripture of the Hindus, consisting
of the Rig-Veda, Sama-Veda, Yagur-Veda, and Atharva-Veda.
Vedanta A system of philosophy mainly based upon the teachings
of the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, and the Vedanta sutras.
Vishnoo (Vis.n. u) Vishnu.
Vishnu (Vis.n. u) The preserver god; the second person
of the Hindu trinity, the other two being Brahma (the Creator)
and Siva (the Destroyer); also a name of the Supreme Lord.
Yoga Union of the individual soul and the Supreme Soul;
the discipline by which such union is effected. The Yoga system
of philosophy, ascribed to Patanjali, is one of the six systems
of orthodox Hindu philosophy, and deals with the realization
of Truth through concentration of the mind.
Yogi One who practices Yoga.
Yuga An age or era of several thousands of years.
